Latest Google Camera APK hints at RAW photo support coming to Android

Android P’s newest (and possibly last) beta was released the other day, bringing us one step closer to a finalized set of features for the stable release. Sometimes we get a glimpse at those new features from code hidden inside of apps, which is exactly how it was discovered that Google might be adding RAW photo support to their default camera application.

Taking better photos on Android

Support for RAW actually popped up in a camera teardown for Android a few years ago, but it never officially released. This time around the feature looks significantly more finished, including some tutorials for users who may not know that they’ll need a separate, dedicated video editor for RAW files and confirming that RAW does take up much more storage space than your typical JPEG.

RAW support is easily the biggest new addition that we can see, but that’s not all there is to the latest camera app. There’s a new feature for correcting distortion on wide angle lenses that you typically see around the edges of a shot, an automatic framerate detector for your videos, and surround sound, multi-channel audio recording.

We’ll still have to wait for any or all of these features to materialize, but with the stable release of Android P hopefully right around the corner, maybe we won’t have to wait too long. It wouldn’t surprise me to see some of these things talked about at the launch of the Pixel 3, either.

Born in southern Alabama, Jared spends his working time selling phones and his spare time writing about them. The Android enthusiasm started with the original Motorola Droid, but the tech enthusiasm currently covers just about everything. He likes PC gaming, Lenovo's Moto Z line, and a good productivity app.